City map Seoul

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Seoul – a brief overview

South Korea’s high-tech capital is one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia. Seoul is modern, cosmopolitan and frenetically energetic, with relentless noise and bustle and an intense drive for progress. Nevertheless, reminders of its six centuries under dynastic rule still remain: immaculately preserved temples, palaces and shrines rub shoulders with gleaming high-rise

towers and sparkling shopping malls. Two of Seoul’s big attractions are shopping and eating out. You can easily cover both bases by visiting its colourful markets, working up an appetite as you haggle for a lacquerware vase, then feasting on delectable street food.

Changdeokgung Palace

The Palace of Illustrious Virtue was the Joseon kings’ official residence for 270 years. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Seoul’s most popular attractions. Highlights include the throne hall and the Huwon garden.

Deoksugung Palace

This, the appropriately named Palace of Virtuous Longevity, was the last home of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled for more than 500 years. Its dramatic Changing of the Guards ceremony should not be missed (Tue-Sun 1030, 1400, 1530).

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

This impressive modern gallery showcases contemporary art by Korean and international artists, as well as traditional Korean arts and crafts. An outdoor area includes modern sculptures by world-famous artists such as Louise Bourgeois.

National Palace Museum of Korea

With some 40,000 exhibits, this museum inside the old walled city recounts the more than 500 years of the Joseon royal Dynasty. As well as displays of ceremonial costumes and regalia, exhibits include a replica of the first water clock and a collection of vintage automobiles.

Jongmyo

The UNESCO World Heritage site Royal Ancestral Shrine is a Confucian monument dedicated to the 27 Joseon kings and queens. On the first Sunday in May, costumed worshippers bring offerings to the spirits, accompanied by traditional regal music.

Gansong Museum

This private collection of Korean antiquities includes many of the country’s most priceless treasures, protected against plunder during the Japanese occupation. It’s only open four weeks a year, so expect long queues.

Flight and accommodation

Country information

Country overview

The quantity of beautiful national parks, remote beaches, islands in the south, and rugged

mountain peaks make Korea a stunningly diverse country and one that is great for outdoor adventures.

Geography

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a peninsula that shares borders to the north with the demilitarised zone (separating it from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), to the east with the Sea of Japan (East Sea), to the south with the Korea Strait (separating it from Japan), and to the west with the Yellow Sea. There are many islands and bays in the Korea Strait, including the largest, the volcanic island of Jeju-do, which lies off the southwest coast and is also home to South Korea’s highest mountain, Mount Halla, at 1,950m (6,397ft).

Most of the country consists of hills and mountains with the 30% of flat plain home to the majority of the population and cultivation. Most rivers rise in the mountains to the east, flowing west and south to the Yellow Sea. The Naktong River flows into the Korea Strait near the southern port of Busan, Korea’s second largest city after Seoul. The eastern coast is rocky and steep with mountains rising from the sea.

General knowledge

Key facts

Population: 48955203

Population Density (per sq km): 491

Capital: Seoul.

Language

Korean (Hangul), with English widely taught in school and generally understood in major centres.

Currency

Won (KRW; symbol ₩). Notes are in denominations of ₩50,000, 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000. Chon means ‘one thousand’. Coins are in denominations of ₩500, 100, 50 and 10.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 60Hz. Round two-pin plugs are used.

General business opening hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1800.

Public holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2015-December 2015 period.

Flight and accommodation

Between Gangnam style and teahouses

“Seoul can give you everything – quiet, traditional places where you can be by yourself and cool new trendy neighbourhoods.” 32 year old flight attendant Ho-Young rediscovers his hometown on a trip that takes us from teahouses and temples to the hustle and bustle of Noryangjin Market.

Flight and accommodation

Calendar of events

Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul

Over 100,000 lanterns illuminate the streets of Jong-ro in central Seoul to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. Performances and other festivities take place outside Jogyesa Temple in Insa-dong, and a parade of glowing lanterns and floats takes place one evening.

World Tourism & Food Expo

Foodies will enjoy this Seoul event showcasing the best traditional and new cuisine from Korea and around the world. Cooks compete in various competitions, there are demonstrations of how popular dishes like bibimbap are prepared and booths offer free tastings.

Insa-dong Festival

1 – 31 May 2015

Venue: Insa-dong, Jongno-gu.

Over 100 arts, craft and galleries display their most valuable pieces during this popular annual festival in Seoul, while events include a parade, dances, a recreation of a traditional wedding ceremony and various craft demonstrations. It’s also an opportunity to buy arts and antiques at discounted prices.

Jongmyo Daeje

This ancestral rite has been performed for over 500 years, earning it an UNESCO World Heritage listing. The spirits of former kings and queens, believed to reside in tablets at Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, are honoured with elaborate bowing and food-offering rituals from massed ranks in colourful traditional costumes.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Two and a half hours south of Seoul, you can wallow in everything from therapeutic mud massage to mud-sliding at this spectacularly dirty and fun festival held each July on Daecheon Beach – the longest on Korea’s West coast. The mud is rich in minerals and said to be good for the skin. Most participants will want to bring a swimsuit they won’t care to ever wear again and plan on being covered in mud from head to toe.

All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.

Climate & best time to visit South Korea

Moderate climate with four seasons, making any season a fine time to visit as long as you wear appropriate clothing. The hottest part of the year is during the rainy season between July and August, and the coldest is December to February. Occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods. Spring and autumn are mild and mainly dry and are generally considered the best times to visit.

Flight and accommodation

Elevated cuisine in Seoul

We visit star-studded chef Duncan Robertson at his restaurant n.Grill

Every morning Duncan Robertson climbs to the top of Namsan Hill, and every evening he climbs back down again to “mellow out,” as the Briton says. The N Seoul Tower, which is the city’s landmark, is situated at the top of Namsan Hill, and its rotating lookout platform houses the restaurant belonging to the star-studded chef. In a video, Duncan Robertson explains how he fuses European and Korean cuisine in a restaurant that boasts an incredible view.

Flight and accommodation

Phone calls & Internet

Telephone/Mobile Telephone

Dialing code: +82

Telephone

Public telephones are not ideal for making international calls, and a number of rip off “phone cards” are available on the street or even the airport itself. Your best and least expensive bet is to use Skype or another voice-over-ip (Voip) service to call home from one of the innumerable internet cafes.

Mobile Telephone

Native cellphone service is so good in South Korea that many Koreans do not know the meaning of the term “dropped call,” but international calls and roaming can be prohibitively expensive. You may still have to hire a relevant Korean handset even though your SIM card works. Cellphones can be easily rented at airport kiosks or at offices in Seoul.

Internet

Internet is widely available in Korea. The country is one of the highest user of internet in the world; according to the OECD, Korea’s population has the highest number of wireless broadband subscriptions. There are internet cafes around the country in public places such as airports, train stations and bus terminals in Korea. ‘PC bangs’ are rooms full of computers, predominantly started for people to play games. They are cheap and many are open 24 hours a day, with snacks available.

Flight and accommodation

Shopping in Seoul

Key Areas

Seoul is truly a shoppers’ heaven, particularly for exotic foodie delights (though pet lovers may wish to avoid the dog meat delicacies). Myeong-dong is good for general stores, Insadong has specialist shops – particularly for antiques and furniture – and the city’s traditional markets are major attractions in their own right.

Markets

Seoul’s traditional neighbourhood markets are too numerous to list, but a couple of gems worth seeking out are Gwangjang Market, 6-1 Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, which has everything from fresh produce to tailor-made clothes, and Namdaemun Sijang, by the Great South Gate, which has hundreds of stalls, selling bric-a-brac, seafood snacks and more.

Shopping Centres

Shinsegae, in Jung-gu is one of the biggest malls, with top-name designer brands; a couple of others worth checking out are Dongdaemun in Jongno-gu, and Kyungbang Times Square in Yeongdeungpo-gu.

Flight and accommodation

Traveller etiquette

Social Conventions

Shoes must be removed before entering a Korean home. Small gifts are customary; traditional etiquette requires using the right hand for giving and receiving. Seniority should always be respected – don’t eat before the oldest person at the table has started. Koreans often ask your age and marital status to quickly gauge societal seniority. They can be very reserved, shy and resistant of body contact until they get to know you.

Never leave chopsticks in your rice, and never beckon anyone with palm up using one finger, as this is the way Koreans call their dogs.

Writing someone’s name in red is bad as this symbolises death. The number four is considered unlucky and to give gifts in multiples of four is considered taboo; giving seven of an item is considered lucky.

Traditional costume, or hanbok, is mainly worn on holidays and special occasions. For men it consists of a short jacket and loose trousers, called baji, that are tied at the ankles. Women’s hanboks comprise a wrap-around skirt and a bolero-style jacket and is often called a chima-jeogori.

Flight and accommodation

Health

Food & Drink

Though tap water is potable and thus safe to drink, tourists often avoid it due to taste. Bottled water is available, as is powdered or tinned milk. Korean cuisine is rich and varied and as such, includes all sorts of raw, uncooked, or undercooked meats, seafoods, and delicacies. Use common sense when ordering. Those with health concerns may want to exercise caution and avoid unpasteurised milk and products made from it, such as ice cream. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked, fruit peeled. Food from street vendors is usually safe but should be eaten at your own risk.

Other Risks

Japanese encephalitis may be transmitted by mosquitoes between June and October in rural areas. A vaccine is available, and travellers are advised to consult their doctor prior to departure. Hepatitis B is highly endemic. Tuberculosis occurs. Rabies may be present. For those at high risk, vaccination should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay.

Flight and accommodation

5 things to eat in Seoul

The South Korean capital of Seoul beckons with all manner of delicacies, which have earned fame far beyond the country’s borders. Particular favorites are kimchi, maeuntang, mandu, samgyeopsal and hotteuk, which are also often sold at street markets. Our video lets you in on exactly what goes into these tasty Korean specialties.